In the past, gallbladder operations have been quite common. Such operations were big operations although not especially dangerous. Because such operations were big, the recovery time from such an operation was substantial. In conducting such an operation, an incision was made and, first, through a cholangiogram catheter inserted into the cystic duct, radio opaque material was forced. Thereafter, through x-ray procedures, determination was then made as to whether or not to remove the gallbladder.
Cholangiogram catheters, upon the forcing of radio opaque material into the duct, were known to be forced out of the incision in the duct by the back pressure built up by the radio opaque material. It became common, to avoid this, to provide a cholangiogram catheter with a headed tip. The tip would be inserted about 3/8 into the cystic duct of a patient. Thereafter, the duct was tied about the catheter adjacent the headed tip so that the headed end could not be forced back out by back pressure since a shoulder at the headed end would captivate it against such back pressures when the duct was tied about it. Subsequently, instead of ties, clamps, usually of titanium, were developed which are applied by a device with jaws. The jaws would apply pressure to the clamp which would cause the clamp to close about the cystic duct and catheter within it near its shoulder.
To feed the catheter into an incision in the cystic duct, it is necessary, of course, to push axially on the catheter. Catheters, which are required to be of small diameter, were also required to be of sufficient strength so as not to collapse in response to axial pressures, such as those encountered when one attempts to push a string into a hole. If the catheter were made of a preferred two small a diameter, difficulties were encountered. It could not be guided into position and it could collapse when being clamped.
Recently, conventional gallbladder operations are conducted through apertures in the abdomen to reach the gallbladder. A gallbladder requiring removal, was collapsed, such as one might, on analogy, collapse a balloon by permitting the material to be drawn from it. When a gallbladder is collapsed, it can be removed from a small aperture in the abdomen without the necessity for a big operation. This has resulted in gallbladders being performed after which a patient may return home without being required to stay in the hospital and to endure pain during recovery for an extended period of time. In conducting such an operation, it has become necessary to provide a cholangiogram catheter which can be easily manipulated into an incision in a cystic duct, advanced about 3/8, and which is, preferably, as small in diameter as possible and which can, in spite of being of small diameter, be secured in position by a clamp without collapsing.